Technology

The student work accomplished during Technology instruction is based on a curriculum that is aligned with district, state and national standards. The concepts and skills found in the curriculum are based on the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETSS)* published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

These standards are not an end in themselves but our whole program is designed to help students achieve the technology standards in the context of their math, science, social studies, language arts, and other subject area standards.

3-5
Third through fifth grade students learn how to access their own storage space on the building's server using their personalized username and password. Using this electronic space allows them to create and save documents from any location in the building. The children are taught to organize their work into folders, enabling students to save and retrieve documents, which is a lifelong skill.

The third through fifth grade students are introduced to basic keyboarding skills, which helps to prepare them for more formalized keyboarding instruction at the middle school. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel are used by the children to research, communicate, collaborate, organize their learning and showcase their ideas.

The third through fifth grade students also learn to communicate ideas by creating digital stories and presentations using a variety of software applications. These projects demonstrate 21st century skills and their understanding of curricular skills and concepts from their classroom. By creating innovative products students demonstrate appropriate critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.

Internet Safety is another very important focus of instruction taught not only by the computer teacher, but also reinforced by the classroom teacher. Students use the filtered Internet according to the district's acceptable use policy (PDF) to research classroom topics, navigate clip art galleries and read current events. Our young researchers are taught to cite electronic sources used during research. These experiences are used to help them understand their role as a digital citizen in the 21st century.

Children in Souderton Area School District have access to computers in their classrooms, a mobile laptop lab and a computer lab in every elementary school. In addition to the lessons that the students receive in the computer lab with their technology teacher, classroom teachers and the district Instructional Technology Support staff work with children to facilitate the ubiquitous use of technology in their curriculum areas.

*Note: The links in this area will let you leave the Souderton Area School District Web site. The linked site is not under the control of the School District, and the School District is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. The School District is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement of the site by the School District.